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Fred Salling

Fred Salling, age 100, passed away Sunday, July 7, 2013, in San Angelo, Texas. The graveside service will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 10, 2013, at Miles Cemetery in Miles, Texas. The memorial service will be 1 p.m, Wednesday, July 10, 2013, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Miles, Texas, with the Rev. Diane Eggemeyer officiating. Pallbearers for the service will be Andrew Salling, John Caudle, Charlie Rush, Gayland Thorn, Ron Lehman and Bill Shepherd. Funeral arrangements are by Johnson’s Funeral Home.Frederick E. “Fred” Salling was born Sept. 1, 1912, at home in Miles, Texas, to Frederick Andrew and Emma (Eschberger) Salling. Fred was the eldest of six children and helped his father work on the Salling farm, utilizing a mule team to plow, plant and harvest their crops.He attended Miles public school where he participated in all sports offered, excelling in football where he earned a scholarship from Daniel Baker College (now Howard Payne) in Brownwood, Texas. He earned his bachelor of arts degree there in 1936 and returned to Miles to teach and coach. He met his wife to be, Lucille Young, while she was also teaching business in Miles. They were married on May 31, 1940, at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Miles where he was a lifetime member, serving on the church council and teaching Sunday school for many years.Fred and Lucille moved to Ralls, Texas, in 1942 and both taught there until World War II broke out. He joined the Navy and was assigned to head up the athletic ROTC program in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania. Later on, he was given orders to sail to the Philippine Islands where he served until the war was over and then returned to Miles to his wife and newborn son, Terry, whom he had not yet seen.They were both offered jobs in Brady, Texas, where they taught in high school and he coached football, basketball and track. His track teams won state two years in a row. His second son, James Michael, was born in Brady in 1948. In 1951, he and Lucille moved to Coahoma, Texas, where he was high school principal and coach. While there, Fred and Lucille both got their masters’ of education degrees in 1953 through Sul Ross College in Alpine, Texas. Then in 1959, they were offered jobs in Miles again and moved there to start his career as superintendent, where he retired in 1978. The tennis courts at the high school in Miles were named in Fred’s honor in 2011.Fred and Lucille loved fishing and they, with their boys, traveled every summer to various states and Canada, camping out of a tent in wilderness areas, cooking on a campfire and eating trout they caught.Fred was a devoted member of the Lions Club for more than 50 years, serving as president, secretary, treasurer and tail twister. He also was a referee for practically every football and basketball game he could attend in order to referee. He fired the starter’s gun for races at the Ozona track meets for many years. He was a devoted sports fan, attending every game possible that Miles played. If he couldn't find a game to attend he would watch one on television at his home.Preceding him in death were his wife of 61 years; his parents; brothers Marvin and Ernest Salling and sisters Eleanor Harsch and Martha Caudle. One sister survives, Margaret Lehman of Georgetown, Texas. Fred leaves his two surviving sons, Terry Salling and Renee of San Angelo, Texas, and Michael Salling and wife Susan of Austin, Texas. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Angela Byers and husband Michael of Bixby, Okla., Brian Salling and wife Joy of Fort Worth, Texas, Jackson Salling and wife Lauren of Austin and Cara (Salling) Lyons and husband Kory, also of Austin. Surviving great-grandchildren are Alannah and Lindsey Byers of Bixby, Sawyer, Chloe and Violet Salling of Fort Worth; plus a host of cousins, nephews, nieces and friends. One special friend was Fred’s “buddy,” Bernice Matthiesen of Miles; also a family thank you goes to Don and Mary Skowbo of San Angelo for their visitations and help and to Sharon Helweg. Special thanks to Meadow Creek Nursing Center and Norma Cadena and Joanna Arispe, plus Odyssey Hospice of San Angelo. Memorials may be sent to Trinity Lutheran Church Memorial Fund or Miles Senior Citizens Center, both at Miles, Texas, 76861. Family and friends may sign an online register book at www.johnsons-funeralhome.com.Pail obituary